For excitement, the NFL season-opener didn't disappoint.
For Ravens fans, it was a heartbreaker.
Baltimore fell to the Kansas Chiefs, 27-20, in a thrilling game at Arrowhead Stadium that came down to the last play.
Here are my five thoughts from the game:
Fans Get a Show, Ravens Get More Heartbreak
The Ravens went toe-to-toe with the back-to-back defending Super Bowl champs, but the outcome came down to Isaiah Likely's toe.
On the game's final play, the officials originally ruled that Likely had caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Lamar Jackson in the back of the end zone. But after a replay review, the call on the field was overturned and the touchdown was waved off.
The Chiefs narrowly escaped with a victory in the AFC Championship rematch, but Jackson thought the final play was touchdown.
"I believe it was two feet in," Jackson said.
On the play before, Zay Flowers was wide open in the end zone, but Jackson had already committed to throwing toward Rashod Bateman and the pass sailed through the end zone incomplete.
The loss dropped Jackson's career record against the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes to 1-5, but Jackson scoffed at a reporter afterwards suggesting that the Chiefs are his "kryptonite."
"They're not my kryptonite," he said.
Jackson (26-of-41, 273 yards, one touchdown) showed the competitive spirit that has helped make him a two-time MVP. The Ravens began their final two-minute drive on their own 13-yard line with 1:50 left, before storming down the field.
Jackson kept coming at Kansas City with everything he had, rushing for 122 yards on 16 carries and dancing around would-be tacklers to extend plays in the pocket or gain positive yards.
Yet it wasn't enough. Baltimore may need to get past Kansas City again in the postseason, but while the Ravens were defeated, they were not discouraged.
"The whole game gave me encouragement, because I believe our guys were fighting," Jackson said. "We're out there putting it on the line – blood, sweat and tears. For us to lose to those guys, and the way we lost? I can't be mad at my guys. They battled."
Likely Is a Budding Star
There was plenty of excitement about Likely before the season, but the hype may have undersold him. He was sensational with nine catches for 111 yards, and his 49-yard touchdown catch that was punctuated by a juke move that left Bryan Cook of the Chiefs grabbing at air was a thing of beauty.
Likely looked uncoverable and his catch radius and run-after-catch ability makes him a unique player. In Likely and three-time Pro Bowler Mark Andrews (two catches, 14 yards) the Ravens have the league's best tight end duo, which should give opponents matchup problems all season.
Likely sounded like he would love to see the Chiefs again in January.
"I'd say this is probably the worst game we're going to play all year," Likely said. "So, if this is the best that they got, good luck in the postseason."
A Defensive Miscue Is Deflating
The Ravens seriously damaged their chances by giving the Chiefs a gift touchdown in the fourth quarter, an easy 39-yard touchdown pass from Mahomes to rookie receiver Xavier Worthy, who was left wide open.
Baltimore had gained the momentum after pulling within three on the Jackson to Likely touchdown. The Ravens needed a defensive stop, and even holding the Chiefs to a field goal would have kept it a one-score game.
However, a blown coverage in the secondary gave Kansas City a free pass that Mahomes took. Marlon Humphrey allowed Worthy to pass by, obviously expecting someone else in the secondary to pick him up. Nobody was there, and the speedy Worthy waltzed into the end zone after making the catch. That was a crusher for the Ravens, who were in serious catchup mode the rest of the way.
Zach Orr's debut as defensive coordinator featured a mixed bag against a great offense. Certainly, there were positive moments. There was an interception by Roquan Smith. Ar'Darius Washington and Marcus Williams had touchdown saving pass breakups. There was a key deflection by Trenton Simpson late in the game, and the pass rush sacked Mahomes twice, led by David Ojabo and Odafe Oweh.
However, the mistake in the secondary that gave the Chiefs an easy touchdown proved very costly, and Smith said the defense needed to tighten up its assignments. Head Coach John Harbaugh said there were some communication problems on substitutions. The Ravens were repeatedly hurt by crossing patterns over the middle led by Rashee Rice (seven catches, 103 yards).
"There were obviously a lot of mistakes out there," Smith said. "That's not what we pride ourselves on, and I think that starts with me, communicating each and every detail, making sure we're all on the same page. A lot of things that happened were self-inflicted but hats off to those guys, they made us pay for it."
The Offensive Line Has Work to Do
The problems for Baltimore's revamped offensive line started early when the Ravens committed four illegal formation penalties in the first half, including three times on their opening drive. Formation fouls are a point of emphasis with NFL officials this season, and Ronnie Stanley was the main culprit, whistled twice for formation fouls on the first series and three times in the first half.
Baltimore overcame those miscues on its first drive, moving 70 yards in 11 plays capped by Derrick Henry's 5-yard touchdown run. However, General Manager Eric DeCosta warned that the revamped line might have some "hiccups," and he wasn't wrong.
Rookie right tackle Roger Rosengarten will remember his first NFL snap, but not for the right reasons. After Patrick Mekari started the game, Rosengarten entered in the second quarter and was immediately beaten for a strip sack by All-Pro Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones, leading to a Kansas City field goal. Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele were the starting guards, but Jones rushed from different spots and found some success wherever he went, even when the Ravens double-teamed him. Jones even beat Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum on one key third down.
The Ravens will hope the line continues to gel as the weeks go by. But only Jackson's mobility prevented him from being sacked more often, and the line will have to play better to get the most out of Jackson and Henry (13 carries, 46 yards, one touchdown).
Extra Points
- Jackson moved past Michael Vick for the most 50-yard rushing games (55) by an NFL quarterback.
- Justin Tucker made two field goals, but his lone miss from 53 yards made him 1-for-6 on field goals from 50+ yards since the beginning of last year. There are some blocks in there, too.
- Justice Hill (six catches, 52 yards) was a weapon as a receiver out of the backfield, running with authority after the catch.
- David Ojabo (one sack) looked very quick as a pass rusher coming off the edge, an encouraging sign for the third-year outside linebacker coming off knee surgery.
- Marcus Williams had a strong game at safety with six tackles, one behind Smith for the team lead, and a pass breakup at the goal line. Simpson had five tackles and a sack in his starting role.
